Working from home is not as pleasant as it seems. In fact, lots of people find it more stressful to work from remotely because it is difficult to adjust to new environment. Home is like a safe place for everyone when they can feel relaxed after work. With the situation following the pandemic, people are required to work from home. For some people, it can be more challenging because they have to set the boundaries between personal and professional matter. For working parents, it is even more challenging.
Giving your works and kids the attention they need
Giving attention to your kids and work at the same time is not so easy. Both deserve attention because they are important. In addition, there are more distractions at home, different from when you work at the office. It is easier to lose your focus. Here are some tips to stay focus for working parents during remote work.
Remove unnecessary external distraction
Running business while taking care of family in this situation can be tough because many things to be kept on track. Therefore, removing unnecessary external distractions can help a lot to maintain your focus. External distractions are many such as phone calls, text messages, group chat, social media, etc.
Leave phone off
It is highly recommended to leave your phone off during your work hours at home. This way, your mind won’t be scattered here and there. If you worry that your team members or clients will need you, make sure to let them know beforehand where and when you can be available in the day. Or, open emergency line in which people can reach you out for urgent matters. Hence, they won’t just spam you with unimportant matters.
Designated workspace
Create workspace to keep you on track doing your responsibilities. If you have spare room, you can turn it into a workspace so your mind will be able to more focus while working. If you don’t really have any spare room, create a space that can make your mind think it is a place to finish your work. If you work in random places such as kitchen, living room, bedroom, it will be harder to stay focus.
Scheduling with partner
If you have partner, you can set a schedule that work for both of you. So you can take turn taking care of your kids. If your kids are old enough, you can give them some tasks to finish. For example, ask them to finish their homework or attend their online study, and so on. Just make sure that you check on them from time to time to ensure they are fine on their own.
Establish good communication with your family
If you have family who can understand and support you, discuss the matter properly. Find the best solution for everyone so you can stay focus with your work without neglecting your family. This can be very challenging especially in the beginning of the transition of working at office building to remote work from home.